<br />Comments to SWSI, November 3, 2003, by John Wiener
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<br />where small acreages are not being operated for profit or at scales sufficient to support
<br />investment in higher technology, as well as the chance for increased risks from and to ditches,
<br />especially where thoughtless zoning and development put investments in dangerous locations.
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<br />In a perfect world, ditches heading in this direction should be offered various easements,
<br />incentives and opportunities to provide public benefits from such water management and habitat
<br />support, designed to provide those benefits with appropriate access to the public as well as the
<br />new neighbors. (And, urban developers and officials would reap the benefits of ditches instead of
<br />encroaching on them, injuring rights of way, creating hazards, and generally turning an asset into
<br />a liability while injuring the providers...)
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<br />Urban amenity values and the agricultural legacy
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<br />In almost aU of Colorado's urban areas, important quality of life benefits derive from the beneficial
<br />externality provided by conveyance losses from ditches and canals, and in many urban and
<br />suburban areas, there are also important benefits from uses of the rights of way for trails and
<br />other access. Denver's Highline Canal is a premier amenity, as shown on the city's website, and
<br />the State has published a series of maps of trails as well. The ditch companies are, for most of
<br />the population of the West on a daily basis, "the people who brought you trees and birds."
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<br />There are two ways to consider the value of the amenities provided by the ditches and their
<br />support of vegetatiDn and wildlife. First, real estate valuation reflects the added charms of being
<br />near these amenities; economists have studied the differences between similar properties, using
<br />large samples, to sort out different sources of value, and amenities are not trivial. The National
<br />Association of Home Builders, for example, sponsored a study on the value of trails (reported by
<br />the Rails to Trails Conservancy; the NAHB publication is costly, but a distillation can be seen at
<br />http://www.nahb.org/generic.aspx?genericContentlD=S40). A local check could be performed by
<br />Simply asking realtors for their experience and advice, or perhaps interview some residents about
<br />what they like and don't like.
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<br />The second approach to valuation might be considering the cost of purchasing the same services
<br />and qualities. How much would it cost to provide treated water and a distribution system for the
<br />support of the vegetation along ditches if the ditch itself were "turned off"? Would the neighbors
<br />be willing to provide that watering, and are there neighbors along the ditch? If the trees and
<br />shrubs were lost, what would it cost to replace them, or to establish similarly supportive bird and
<br />wildlife habitat? (Raccoon-haters may think this would be a foolish question, but bird-lovers may
<br />not.) And, what would be the cost (let alone probability) of acquiring a corridor like that provided
<br />by the ditch, as a new right of way?
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<br />The literature supports claims about the importance of amenities and the sense of place (e.g.
<br />Daniels, T.L., J.W. Keller, and M.B. Lapping, 1995, The Small Town Planning Handbook, 2d Ed.,
<br />Chicago: American Planning Association, Chaps. 10, 12 and 21; and see Chaps. 3, 4 and16 in
<br />Arendt, R. et aI., Rural bv Design: Maintaining Small Town Character, 1994, Chicago: American
<br />Planning Association; for metropolitan areas, see Hoch, C.J., L.C. Dalton and F.S. So, 2000, The
<br />Practice of Local Government PlanninQ, 3rd Ed. Washington, D.C.: International City/County
<br />Management Association, Chaps. 5 and 8.; and see references in comment above).
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<br />Agricultural efficiency and environmental values
<br />Agricultural Efficiency and unintended uses of water: this is relevant to ## 1 ,2,S,6,7,8, and 9!
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<br />Outside of urban areas, conveyance losses, seepage and irrigation inefficiencies create
<br />significant added wildlife and vegetation benefits in rural landscapes enlivened by the water
<br />distribution system. The Front Range as a whole, Including the Plains (and much of the West
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